1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bathing methods and bathing apparatus to automatically bathe a human body, and specifically to bathing methods and bathing apparatus which can be appropriately used for a cosmetic purpose.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional bathing apparatus are primarily used to bathe people who need care. In such bathing apparatus, a subject to be bathed remains lying on a stretcher during bathing. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 6-23009 discloses a shower bath apparatus having a structure in which shower water is flushed from above and below onto a subject to be bathed lying on a stretcher.
However, the abovementioned conventional bathing apparatus are primarily to bathe people who need care and solely for a cleansing purpose. Therefore, conventional bathing apparatus cannot provide a subject to be bathed with cosmetic treatment or a health effect by relaxation or the like.
An objective of the present invention is to solve the abovementioned problem by providing a bathing method and a bathing apparatus which can improve the beauty and health of a subject to be bathed.
An embodiment of the invention is an apparatus comprising a base having an opening on the top; a body supporting member having a number of openings, placed inside of the base; a lid covering the opening of the base; a plurality of upper shower nozzles arranged on the lid; a plurality of lower shower nozzles arranged under the body supporting member in the base; a hot-water supplying part; a hot-water supply route to connect a plurality of the upper shower nozzles and a plurality of the lower shower nozzles and the hot-water supplying part; and a heating means to heat a space formed by the base and the lid. According to the embodiment of the present invention, a subject to be bathed can be provided with not only an effective cleansing but also a cosmetic treatment and a health effect by relaxation or the like. Thereby, the beauty and health of the subject to be bathed can be improved.
The present invention includes various embodiments as follows:
An embodiment of the invention is an apparatus wherein the heating means includes a far-infrared emission system to radiate far-infrared rays in a space formed by the base and the lid.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus wherein the heating means includes a warm-air supply system having a warm-air generation part, a warm air ejection part to eject hot air into a space formed by the base and the lid, and a warm-air supply route to connect the warm-air ejection part and the warm-air generation part.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a steam supply system to mix steam with warm air passing through the warm-air supply route.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a cleansing agent reservoir to store a cleansing agent to cleanse a human body and a cleansing agent supplying means to mix the cleansing agent, stored in the cleansing agent reservoir, with hot-water passing through said hot-water supply route.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a lotion reservoir to store lotion, spray nozzles to eject like a mist the lotion stored in the lotion reservoir onto a space formed by the base and the lid, and a lotion supply route to connect the spray nozzles and the lotion reservoir.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a water-soluble-pack reservoir to store a water-soluble pack, and a water-soluble-pack supply route to connect the spray nozzles and the water-soluble-pack reservoir, spray nozzles to eject, like a mist, the water-soluble pack stored in said water-soluble pack reservoir onto a space formed by said base and said lid.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus wherein the spray nozzles comprises a plurality of upper spray nozzles arranged on the lid and a plurality of lower spray nozzles arranged under the body supporting member in the base.
Additionally an embodiment of the invention is a bathing apparatus further comprising a swinging means to swing the upper shower nozzles and the lower shower nozzles.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a swinging means to swing the spray nozzles.
The present invention further includes an embodiment which is a method comprising a placement step to place a human body in a main apparatus consisting of a base having an opening on the top and a lid covering the opening of the base; a cleansing step to supply hot water and a cleansing agent to a human body in the main apparatus; a rinsing step to supply a hot water to a human body in the main apparatus.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method further comprising a drying step to supply warm air to a human body in the main apparatus, after the rinsing step.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method further comprising a lotion supplying step to supply lotion to a human body in the main apparatus, between the rinsing step and the drying step.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method further comprising a water-soluble-pack supplying step to supply a water-soluble pack to a human body in the main apparatus, between the cleansing step and the heating step and/or between the heating step and the rinsing step.
Another embodiment of the invention is a method wherein steam is admixed with the warm air in the heating step and/or the drying step.
Additionally, another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus comprising a main apparatus consisting of a base having an opening on the top and a body supporting member inside and a lid covering the opening of the base; a hot water supplying means to supply hot water to a human body in the main apparatus; a cleansing agent supplying means to supply a cleansing agent to a human body in the main apparatus; and a far-infrared supplying means to radiate far-infrared rays onto a human body in the main apparatus.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a means to supply lotion to a human body in the main apparatus.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a means to supply a water-soluble pack to a human body in the main apparatus.
Another embodiment of the invention is an apparatus further comprising a means to admix steam with warm air supplied by the means to supply warm air.
For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Further aspects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow.